Does Black Ops 6 have an early access period?

Black Ops 6 brings new movement mechanics and a fresh slate of maps for players to enjoy when it launches later today. As with any Call of Duty release, many are wondering about Black Ops 6 early access. This year is a little bit different from recent entries into the series, given Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard and a change to the release strategy. For more on the precise launch timings, check out our Black Ops 6 release times page.

If you're looking to play Black Ops 6 as early as possible later this week, you'll need to know the latest news from Activision on Black Ops 6 early access, as well as the specifics regarding the Black Ops 6 Game Pass release. From what we played of the beta, Black Ops 6 certainly has a chance of ending up on our best FPS games list by the end of the year, so we're counting down the days until the game goes live.

Here's everything you need to know about Black Ops 6 early access, including the earliest date you can play Black Ops 6, whether or not there's Campaign early access this year, and the details surrounding launch day. As new info is revealed, we'll be sure to update this page.

Black Ops 6 early access - is it happening?

Black Ops 6 does not have an early access period, as revealed by Activision earlier this year. There won't be a way for players to experience the campaign early, as the developer is aiming for a simultaneous release for all players across all platforms. In a statement to CharlieIntel:

“The team is fully focused on October 25th. We are excited about all the game has to offer across Campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombies. This year, we made the decision to ensure the community gets to dig into any and all modes that they want at the same time, so we are back to one massive global launch moment on October 25th. As such, there is no Early Access beat this year for Black Ops 6, just the countdown to launch.”

When is the earliest you can play Black Ops 6?

Black Ops 6 will launch on October 25 for PS5/PS5 Pro (though there's no enhanced version confirmed yet), PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC. The specific launch times are below:

• Xbox/PC Microsoft Store - Oct 24 (4AM - 11PM PT)
• PlayStation - Oct 24 (4AM - 11PM PT)
• Battle.net & Steam - Oct 24 (9PM PT)

For a look at how to pre-load the game, so that you can jump in as early as possible, check out our Black Ops 6 preload guide.

Is there Black Ops 6 campaign early access?

Unlike the last few Call of Duty games, there will be no campaign early access for Black Ops 6. This will be disappointing news for some, however, given how spoilers tend to leak around the campaign every year, it could be a good thing to have all players jumping in at once.

Is there Black Ops 6 Zombies early access?

Unfortunately, there is no Black Ops 6 Zombies early access this year. Players will be able to jump into a brand new storyline at launch, with two maps: Terminus Island and Liberty Falls. As revealed in the Tweet below, Black Ops 6 Zombies main missions will go live around 10AM PT / 1PM ET / 6PM BST on October 25, 2024.

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